Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) may include a vehicle ready light which is illuminated to indicate to a driver of the vehicle that the vehicle is ready to be operated. The light may be illuminated whenever the hybrid powertrain (either the engine or the electric traction drive) is enabled. A signal from the Powertrain Control Module indicates that the vehicle has been started by the driver and initiates and sustains illumination of the vehicle ready light, which remains illuminated until the vehicle ignition key is turned off. The purpose of the light is to warn the driver that, absent the noise and vibration of the engine, the vehicle is still operational and therefore, when the vehicle is placed into drive and the brake is released, the vehicle will move forward. However, the vehicle ready light may remain illuminated continually and annoy the driver, particularly at night. Moreover, because the vehicle ready light is on continually, the safety function of the light may be ignored as the light fades into the driver's background consciousness.
Therefore, a vehicle ready light control method and system which determines whether a vehicle ready light is illuminated is needed.